10199 LEGO Creator Christmas set revealed on Amazon Japan [News]

Amazon.co.jp has revealed details about the upcoming 10199 LEGO Creator Christmas set, due out later this year. The picture isn’t perfect, but good enough for discussion, I think.

Due to ship in Japan on October 25, 2009, the set will apparently retail for 12,600 yen. Comparing the prices of other LEGO sets between yen and USD, my guess is that this will be a $60 set (assuming it’s available, but we LEGO fans can always make that happen).

As far as I know the Japanes are obsessed with this kind of fairytale-like eurocentric version of christmas. Andrew has probably a deeper insight into this, but I lived in Heidelberg for a couple of years and seen my share of Japanese tourists buying this sort of overpriced kitsch like crazy. In midsummer.

^ Confirmed. Like Andrew, I grew up in Japan (not a coincidence), and can confirm the obsession. Also: Disney and Coca-Cola. Many of the things that were post-WW2 cultural imports during the US military occupation of Japan through the early 50s. Coca-Cola because they had the exclusive soda vending contract with the military for a long time.